Rep. Carol Hanson, chairwoman of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation, said she will not be intimidated -- not even by Schools Superintendent Tom Mills.

That is the message she delivered Friday afternoon during a legislative strategy session between legislators and school officials in West Palm Beach.

"Let me tell you," said Hanson, R-Boca Raton. "I don't like the lobbying tactics used in my district. I don't like intimidation and I don't like threats."

Hanson said she received calls from teachers, instructed by principals at Mills' order, to plead for more state dollars to the county school district during the coming legislative session.

"They told me they would lose their jobs or be laid off if they didn't talk sense into their local representatives," Hanson said. "I know what needs to be done in Palm Beach County and for education."

Mills said, "I have not asked anyone to call or make threats to anyone. We have said publicly that our delegation is very supportive to our needs."

Joanne Kaiser, principal at Southboro Elementary School in West Palm Beach, said, "The superintendent has never, to principals, made such a comment or threat. This is the first I've heard of it."

When the verbal sparring ended, the message of Friday's meeting surfaced: Palm Beach County schools face a possible $18.6 million deficit unless legislators earmark more state dollars for schools than the proposal from Gov. Bob Martinez, said Henry Boekhoff, associate superintendent of administration.

Boekhoff said it will cost $57.6 million more come July 1 to operate the school district than it is costing this year, but the governor's budget would leave the district $18.6 million short.

The expected addition of 5,500 new students, the opening of 10 schools and the School Board's commitment to honor the final year of a three-year, 30 percent salary increase for teachers account for most of the $57.6 million in additional expenses, he said. It does not include expanding or adding new programs.

The School Board voted on March 15 to slice nearly $15 million from the 1989-90 budget in anticipation of not getting enough state dollars. The result means program cuts, more students per class, administrative staff reductions and the possible need to trim nearly $4 million more.

"If we focus on analyzing the governor's budget ... with a little maneuvering, we can get the dollars we need to meet our operational needs," Mills said.

Hanson said, "You have to make super lobbyists out of us. We're running out of time. But, I'm going to go slow and look at all your needs."

Rep. Ray Liberti, D-West Palm Beach, suggested increasing the local optional tax in Palm Beach County to meet the specific needs of the School District.

"If there was ever a time you school officials need to be more attached to our hips in the next few months, this is it," said Liberti, who serves as chairman for the state House Finance Education Committee.

School Board Chairman Arthur Anderson said, "It will be a very challenging session in the Legislature. What we propose is a bare-bones budget. We need your support to stay even where we are at this particular time."